Essential Question #2

Discuss biblical allusions and religious symbolism in Beowulf.

Beowulf is an epic story that uses multiple biblical allusions and religious symbolism in order to enhance the plot. Biblical allusions are used to enhance the plot through biblical references to characters like Cain and through the predetermination of characters' fate as chosen by God. One thing that especially drives the plot is that Cain, the first biblical murderer, was the patriarch of Grendel, hence Grendel too has murderous tendencies. Therefore, the villain in this story was created from the bible, so the author creates a hero that is predestined by God to fight and defeat the spawn of Cain. The author is very keen on noting how Beowulf is predestined by God to defeat Grendel and his mother: "Ecgtheow's son [...] would have died far under the wide earth [...] had not holy God granted him victory" (1535-1540). The author also goes as far as having the characters like Beowulf crediting God for their good fortune: "I barely espcaped with my life from that combat under the water [...] our encounter would have ended at once if God had not guarded me" (64). Clearly God and Christianity plays a crucial role in this story, because the characters and plot owe their fate and actions to them.